Heat cans of beans. add stock. blend 1/2 the beans with an immersion blender. add cumin. top with a few drops of sherry vinegar.

The Kirby brand beans are already seasoned. You'll probably need to go to a Latin market to find them. You can use other brands and season yourself with Cuban-type seasonings (cumin, oregano, lime, bitter orange, etc.). Just FYI, black beans aren't Spanish. Latin yes, but they're not typically Spanish.

the best black bean soup i ever had was one i found in the Daily Soup cookbook, and it's dead easy to make--just requires a bit of time. you start it on the stove and cook it in the oven for an hour or two. no soaking required. i don't have the recipe on me (i'm at work), but you might google it? otherwise, i can post it this evening if you like.

heat the oil in a large pot that can go into the oven. add the onion, celery, carrot, and pepper, sweat for a few minutes, till tender.

add cumin, thyme, bay, pepper, stir to coat the vegs.

add beans, tomatoes, and water. bring to boil.

when boiled, remove from stove, cover, and place in the oven to slow cook for 2 hours, till beans are tender.

remove from oven, place on stove over low heat. remove the bay leaves, puree some or all of the soup if you wish.

remove from heat, add half the scallions, vinegar, garlic, and some hot sauce. serve with scallions garnishing the top.

Notes: i've usually done this in my le creuset pot, which works well. if you don't have a pot with a relatively tight-fitting lid, put some foil over the top of the pot before putting on the lid, then put pot in the oven.

also, i've roughly halved this recipe with excellent results. i also don't usually have the vinegar, so i skip it. and sometimes i use vegetable stock instead of just water. it always turns out great.

Rinse & pick through beans to remove any possible debris, place in pot with water to cover by several inches, cover & leave to soak overnight. OR – use the “quick soak” method printed on the package. Drain beans, rinse, drain again & set aside.

In an 8-quart or larger pot, film the bottom with several dollops of extra-virgin olive oil & sauté onion, celery, & carrot until just starting to soften but not brown. Add garlic & sauté a minute or so more.

Thanks! And sometimes I'll make this with just the remnants of the smoked turkey drumstick/wings, & it still comes out just as good. Makes for a good "using up the very last" meal. Plus, if the smoked turkey remnants aren't enough to be hearty, adding in some sliced turkey kielbasa sausage fits the bill